


Skeletons in the Closet

by ShatteredandBroken_WC



Series: Theives of Hearts [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Abuse, Bi-Curiosity, F/F, F/M, Family, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Homosexuality, Love, M/M, Music, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-01 11:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14519316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShatteredandBroken_WC/pseuds/ShatteredandBroken_WC
Summary: Ryuji is about to start his third and final year at Shujin Academy with his friends. After the potential ruin was stopped, the world went back to normal, and everything seemed so...dull. That is, until rumors of a new foreign transfer student reach the Phantom Theives. Ryuji is hyped to meet the cute new girl...but instead, he meets a cute new guy that turns the whole world on its head.Noelani just wants three simple things: 1, to graduate and get himself and his little sister away from his mother; 2, to see his father again after nearly five years of forbidden contact; and 3, to finally come out of the closet. For now, however, he has to finish his high school career in Japan where his mother started her new clothing line. Noelani didn’t expect to find anything of value there, but instead he found the exact person that could help him achieve his goals.





	1. The End of Summer

The last fleeting rays of sunlight before the rainy season glinted feebly off of the windows of LaBlanc. Five teenagers were talking animatedly in a booth closest to the counter - two girls on one side, two boys on the other, and a third boy sitting on a stool, facing the rest of the group. 

“I can’t believe this is our last year of high school,” the girl with light brown hair sighed, “where did all the time go?”

“I know,” replied the boy sitting across from her from over his computer.

“It’s only my first year,” the spectacled ginger girl huffed, slumping in her seat.

“Don’t worry, Futaba,” Ann said gently, putting her hand on the younger girl’s shoulder, “we’ll look out for you at Shujin.”

“T-totally, Futaba-Chan!” Mishima piped up, looking up from his screen to blush at Futaba’s overdramatic eye roll. Sojiro gave him a stern look from the corner of his eye.

Ryuji laughed. Mishima blushed darker, and cleared his throat, obviously trying to find a good change of subject.

“So Ryuji, Ann - did you two hear we’ll be getting a new transfer student in our year?”

Yusuke looked up from the painting on the back wall. Futaba brought her head up from its place on the table. Ann and Ryuji shared a interested look. Even Shojiro appeared to stop to eavesdrop. Everyone present knew what a sensation the last transfer student was. Mishima seemed satisfied with the distraction, and continued.

“I heard about it from a couple of gossiping student council members. They’re from England and supposedly part Hawaiian. From what I overheard, no one knows if they’re a girl or a guy yet, but the name is ‘feminine’, so it’s probably a girl.”

Ryuji sat up a little strainer, beaming mischievously. 

“So...not just a new student, but also a cute, foreign girl?”

Both Ann and Futaba leaned over the table and pinched Ryuji hard on the arm (Ann’s with a bit extra force). 

“Ow!”

Mishima tried to smother his laughter, Yusuke did not. Ryuji pulled his arm away from the girls and ran his hand through his short, blonde hair. A new student was cause for commotion enough, but a girl from abroad? Score!

The days since Ren’s return home had been slow, and were steadily slowing even more now that Haru and Makoto had gone off to university. The rest of the Phantom Thieves (and Mishima) spent most of their time in LaBlanc, talking about prepping Futaba for returning to school life and getting part-time jobs and what teachers they want/don’t want to get. It was all so...normal - especially compared to the last year they had all had. While Ryuji didn’t miss the near Ruin, he was getting restless.

A new transfer student was just what he needed.

***

**Joker’sOntoYou** : ‘Sup bro

**Skullzy** : ‘Sup bro

**Joker’sOntoYou** : How are our bros, bro?

**Skullzy** : Our bros are good bro

**Joker’sOntoYou** : How’s my bro bro?

**Skullzy** : I’m good bro

**Joker’sOntoYou** : You sure?

**Skullzy** : Yeah. Just stressing about school

**Skullzy** : We’re getting a new transfer student from abroad

**Skullzy** : Don’t know much about them though

**Joker’sOntoYou** : LOL Already found my replacement?

**Skullzy** : LOL

**Skullzy** : Never

**Skullzy** : Miss you bro

**Joker’sOntoYou** : Miss you too bro

**Skullzy** : How are things there?

**Joker’sOntoYou** : Same as always

**Joker’sOntoYou** : My old friends and I started talking again, but it’s nothing like hanging out with you guys

**Joker’sOntoYou** : I might be able to visit over the summer break

**Skullzy** : That’d be awesome

**Skullzy** : Take care of yourself

**Joker’sOntoYou** : You too, Ryuji

***

“Last day of spring break.”

“Yeah.”

Airi Sakamoto sat down on the couch next to Ryuji, put her arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. Wavy Black hair rested warily on Airi’s shoulders and lay limp all the way down her back. She considered her son with soft, doe-like eyes, then smiled gently. Ryuji leaned into his mother instinctively, closing his eyes; she smelled like chemicals and cheap flowers. At night Airi studied for her BSN, and during the day she cleaned hospitals. Most of the time Ryuji tried to stay quiet as possible around the house, do the shopping and cooking and cleaning, and tucked his mother in when she came home late.

“Third year.”

“Yep.”

“Last year.”

“I know.”

“Big year.”

“Mom, where are you going with this?”

Sitting up, Airi put both her hands on either side of her son’s head, carefully tilting his face upwards towards hers. She studied every detail, trying to find the right words. 

“Ryuji, what do you want to do after high school?”

Ryuji shrugged. It was expensive enough for his mother’s classes, so no way they could pay college tuitions, even if Ryuji worked a couple part-time jobs. He had originally planned on getting a track scholarship, but that was obviously out of the question now.

“Get a couple jobs. Probably move out once I save up enough - somewhere close to you, or maybe somewhere where housing is cheaper. Maybe,” Ryuji grinned with slight sadness, “I’ll compete for a place at the Olympics. That would pay a lot, yeah?”

Airi was quiet for a long time, then whispered in a voice barely audible, “I could always put my degree on hold...”

“No, Mom.” Ryuji replied firmly. He couldn’t take that from his mother, after all these years of hard work. She looked back at him, tears glinting in her eyes.

“You’re tired,” Ryuji said, still in his uncharacteristically strict tone, “come on. Take a nap upstairs, I’ll get dinner ready and wake you up a bit before your class, okay?”

Laughing, Airi leaned over and kissed her son’s face before getting up and stretching.

“Am I looking after you, or you after me?”

After watching his mother trudge up the stairs, Ryuji started on dinner. He wasn’t the world’s best chef per se, but his dishes were always palatable. While he chopped the onions, Ryuji mulled over his mother’s question. What would he do after school? The answer he gave was the one he always thought he would do, but now his mother was considering giving up her education to further his, something Ryuji could not let her do. Maybe, for his mother’s peace of mind, he would apply for a couple colleges, even if he couldn’t afford to attend.

A little while later, Airi sped through her beef bowl, pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and gave Ryuji one last kiss on the forehead before hurrying off to class. Alone, he washed the dishes and went to bed early. Tomorrow is a big day, after all.


	2. First Day of School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji meets the new student, Noelani, who makes an immediate impression.

Ryuji sat in the back corner of the bustling classroom, staring vacantly at the blackboard, doodling on his notebook. Ann had walked a shaking Futaba up to her classroom, and she and Mishima were in a different class again this year. Everyone was restless with the news about the transfer student, wondering whose class they’d be in, what they’d be like, how good-looking they’d be, etc.

The classroom door opened suddenly, and Ryuji snapped to attention. A woman who was probably their teacher walked in, followed by a student. Their teacher smiled warmly, asked everyone to quiet down and take their seats, introduced herself, then announced that they were welcoming a new student. THE student. All eyes were on the slender figure standing in the front of the class, who blushed daintily.

Ryuji felt his organs rise up to his throat, then plummet through the floorboards. They weren’t just a cute foreign girl: she was the cutest girl he had ever seen, period. With dark caramel skin, a button nose, and thick brown hair with two neon purple stripes that curved neatly to her shoulders. One eye was obscured by her hair, but the other was a cool sky blue. All of her features were slightly rounded around the edges. She looked down at her feet, still blushing, then raised her head and said, “Hello, my name is Noelani Smith. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Her voice was quiet, yet clear, and slightly more boyish than expected.

Wait.

Ryuji lowered his gaze from her face. A crisp button-up shirt, a purple blazer (that wasn’t part of the uniform), and black plaid pants. Heat, white-hot and starting in his ears flooded Ryuji’s face, and he immediately turned his face towards the window and closed his eyes pointedly. Noelani wasn’t a cute _girl_ , he was a cute _guy_. Too bad. For a second, Ryuji was really attracted to him, but now he wasn’t. Right? Right. 

Yet the dazzling blue eye and soft, warm smile seemed to have etched themselves onto the lids of his eyes, leaving him feeling a bit dazed. Upon opening his eyes, Ryuji thought that he was so hung up about the revelation that he was now hallucinating, but the real Noelani was now sitting to his left, next to the window. Warmth was still radiating from his cheeks, and he turned his head slightly to see Ryuji properly. He smiled shyly again, and asked, tentatively, “I...don’t have, um...my books yet...so...can I...?”

Nodding silently, Ryuji moved his desk to touch Noelani’s and pulled out his books, thanking his mother for fussing about making sure he had them all in his head. 

***

Ryuji remembered vividly what it was like to awaken his Persona. It felt like his brain had exploded into a ball of electricity, and that feeling permeated through his body, until his whole being was a conductor for a force buzzing to break free. The skin around his eyes had felt heavy, like there was a cork there keeping the force in. He put his hands to his face to find a mask, and when he ripped it off, the sheer power of the force flooded out of him, taking form as his Persona. After the fact he had felt a bit like he had been struck by lightning - the power still buzzing, but calmer, like it had been tamed and was now under his control.

That was what it felt like to be sitting so close to Noelani Smith. He smelled like fancy shampoo and clean laundry, and he was left handed, which was pretty cool. His hand shot up every time the teacher asked a question, so he was also obviously pretty smart too. From time to time Ryuji had to fight the urge to brush the hair out of Noelani’s face where it stayed, covering half of his face, apparently by design.

The morning was a blur. It took a minute for Ryuji to realize that everyone else was getting up for lunch, and he stumbled out of his seat. Halfway to the door, however, he noticed Noelani was still standing next to the window, holding his lunch, looking a little lost. 

“Hey, new kid,” Ryuji called in what he hoped was a casual tone, “want to eat with me and my friends?”

Immediately, Noelani’s face brightened, and he nodded, following attentively. 

“Ryuji Sakamoto, by the way,” he said, again striving for calm, although there were fireworks going off in his chest. 

Ann, Futaba and Mishima were waiting in their usual spot, and looked up interestedly when Ryuji plopped himself down next to them and gestured for Noelani to do the same.

“Guys, this is the new student, Noelani Smith.”

Noelani nodded in greeting (‘ _this guy communicates through nods, doesn’t he?_ ’ Ryuji thought to himself. Not that it bothered him, it was kind of adorable), and everyone perked up.

“Hey, Nice to meet you!” Ann said with pep. “I’m Ann Takamaki!”

“Mishima Yuuki,” Mishima muttered, absorbed in his work once again.

“Futaba Sakura,” Futaba whispered in a small, squeaky voice, clinging to Ann’s arm.

“Ann and Mishima are in our year, and Futaba’s in her first year,” Ryuji explained, taking out his leftovers. Noelani smiled kindly at Futaba, and she slowly uncurled herself from Ann.

“So, Smith-Kun,” Ann said, leaning forward slightly, “is it true you’re from England?”

“Yes,” he replied, taking the lid off of a thermos, revealing a cold, heavy soup.

“But your Japanese is so good!” Ann said, impressed.

“I speak ten languages,” Noelani said, going a little pink again and hurriedly filling his mouth with soup.

“Wow!” Ann exclaimed, then said something in English that Ryuji didn’t understand. Noelani did, however, and he responded in English as well, and before they knew it, the two were having an energetic conversation that no one else could translate. Mishima started asking Ryuji about a new video game that they and Futaba were interested in, and they started chatting happily over their lunches. 

“Ooh,” Ann gasped, this time in Japanese, “you should totally come to LaBlanc with us after school, Smith-Kun! It’s this really cool cafe, and we’re good friends with the owner, so we always get discounts!”

Noelani shook his head, suddenly looking a little melancholy.

“I have afternoon classes,” he muttered.

“What? Like clubs?” Mishima asked, curiously.

“Something like that,” Noelani shrugged. “My mother insists I take fencing and piano classes, along with a couple languages.”

“Wow,” Ann breathed, “that’s a lot of classes. How do you do it all?”

Noelani shrugged again, obviously not keen on the subject.

“I am free most Sundays, though,” he said, trying and failing to be subtle in his change of subject. No one questioned it, though. 

“Cool,” Ann said, “let’s trade contact info and meet up this Sunday at LaBlanc for coffee and homework!”

Everyone agreed excitedly, getting up to return to class. Noelani stood up too, paused, then started walking faster so he would walk next to Ryuji. 

***

All through class, it felt like Ryuji was being watched, although every time he looked around, no one was even glancing in his direction. Noelani seemed engrossed on either the books or the teacher, though it was hard to tell with his hair. Maybe he was just being hopeful that a pretty girl had taken notice of him. Right. A girl. Not Noelani. A guy. Okay, moving on...

***  
**Ali’iNoelani** : Hello? Is this chat thing working?

**Skullzy** : Yeah, you’re good

**Skullzy** : What’s up with that screen name though?

**Ali’iNoelani** : Ali’i is like Hawaiian royalty, for example: a noble, or a chief.

**Skullzy** : Oooohh, cool!

**Ali’iNoelani** : Thank you.

**Skullzy** : You’re part Hawaiian, aren’t you?

**Ali’iNoelani** : Yes. My father was born and raised there, but moved to  
England to pursue a higher education. He is a valedictorian-level graduate from Oxford University. 

**Skullzy** : Wut

**Ali’iNoelani** : He is very, very smart.

**Skullzy** : Ooooh...like you!

**Ali’iNoelani** : Yes, I suppose so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Ps. Feel free to correct any of my Hawaiian in this and/or future chapters...I’m still not very confident in it


	3. A Coffee Not-Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji and Noelani go to LaBlanc…but it’s not like it’s a date or anything!

Sunday came quicker than expected.

Ryuji got off the train, looking around. As Noelani had no idea where to find LaBlanc, Ryuji had agreed to show him the way. 

“Sakamoto-Kun!”

His heart did a flip. Noelani was still wearing his purple blazer, still had his hair combed over his right eye, and still smiled in that shy, unsure way. Now, however, he was also wearing a light blue polo that matched his eye color, white dress pants, and black dress shoes. Dressing a bit formal for a casual get-together in Ryuji’s opinion, but whatever. The light colors suited Noelani - they stood against his dark skin and hair in a flattering contrast. Not that Ryuji had noticed. Or anything.

Holding a lazy hand in the air, Ryuji motioned for Noelani to catch up. When he did, the two walked along the street, turning sharply into the ally where LaBlanc was located. Noelani was obviously out of his element, being twitchy, looking around nervously, even shaking slightly.

“Dude, chill.” Ryuji muttered, and, when all Noelani did was flinch, took his hand subtly in the crowd and squeezed it gently. For the first time, he realized that Noelani was wearing gloves, and wondered if he had always worn them. Ryuji didn’t know quite why he had done it, but seeing Noelani quivering like a wet puppy positively melted his heart. It wasn’t like they where holding hands because they were together. Okay, they were going to a cafe to hang out together, but there was going to be other people there, so it wasn’t like a date or anything. Who even said it was a date? No one had said it was a date. It wasn’t a date. Right? Right.

‘ _You’re overthinking this, Ryuji,_ ’ he thought to himself, shaking his head slightly. Where were these thoughts even coming from? Why would the idea of going on a date with a guy even cross his mind? Furthermore, why does the idea of going on a date with a _guy_ , specifically _Noelani_ , not bother him in the slightest? It was all too confusing. His head was full of weird thoughts.

“Sakamoto-Kun?” Noelani woke him from his daze, pointing up at a sign reading _LaBlanc_. Ryuji blinked a few times, then promptly pulled his hand free and rushed inside. 

“So, Smith-Kun, this is LaBlanc!” Ryuji said, theatrically and possibly too loudly, gesturing dramatically about with his hand. Sojiro scowled at him, but softened a little bit upon seeing the newcomer. Noelani waved tentatively, and Sojiro waved back, saying, “Usual soda, Ryuji? And what would you like, Mister...?”

“Smith. Noelani Smith. Do you have anything from Kona?”

“Yeah. What altitude? Does it matter? Or do you not know what I’m even rambling about?”

“Below 1200,” Noelani said, to Sojiro’s surprise. “With cream, no sugar, if that’s alright.”

Impressed, Sojiro nodded and turned his back to them, starting to make the coffee. Sitting down next to each other in a nearby booth, Ryuji tilted his head. 

“What is Kona?” he asked.

“To put it simply, a place that grows coffee. Guess where it’s located.”

“You seem kinda enamored by Hawaii.”

“It was my father’s home all his life,” Noelani said, in a quiet, faraway voice. “I’ve only been there a couple times, but it was wonderful. I loved being there, and I loved learning and practicing the traditions of my forefather’s people.”

“Our school trip was to Hawaii last year,” Ryuji blurted, immediately feeling extremely lame after doing so. What was wrong with him? However, Noelani laughed, and said, “Is that so? I bet you stayed in a nice hotel on the beach. My grandparents live on a coffee farm. It’s where I gained a fondness for this stuff.”

Noelani made a vague gesture to the cafe in general, just as Sojiro placed a coffee cup and a soda on the table. A bell jangled merrily from the door, and Yusuke entered the cafe and strolled over to their booth.

“So,” Yusuke said, scanning the unfamiliar face, “you are the transfer student of rumor. Didn’t Mishima say you were a girl?”

Noelani promptly turned pink, and glanced at Ryuji for a heartbeat before straitening, saying in a clipped voice, “Well, I’m _not_. My name is Noelani Smith, it’s nice to meet you. Are you a friend of Sakamoto-Kun and the others?”

“Yes,” Yusuke responded, unfazed, “my name is Yusuke Kitagawa. The pleasure is all mine.”

They shook hands. Ann and Mishima came in at that moment, Futaba marched down from the attic upstairs, and the mood thankfully lifted. After the initial awkwardness, Yusuke and Noelani actually started enjoying each other’s conversation. Soon, an iced coffee (Futaba), a macchiato (Ann), a mocha (Yusuke), and a frappe (Mishima) were placed on the table between them. 

Noelani smiled and laughed with the others, and Ryuji hoped no one noticed that his stomach was doing flip-flops. 

***

A new gym had opened up near Ryuji’s house, and ever since he haunted it every afternoon. It was bigger than any of the ones that he had ever been to (which, granted, wasn’t many): two stories high, with a 6th-of-a-mile track on the second floor and a dance/yoga studio on the first. While he was still out of practice, Ryuji’s form was coming back nicely, despite his leg. After spending all morning at LaBlanc, Ryuji had excused himself and came here, going straight to the second floor. 

Running felt good. It helped clear his head a bit. For a while, he just forgot about the world and started his practice - sprint three laps, jog one. His legs burned and his lungs screamed, but Ryuji kept going. It. Felt. _Amazing_. Slowing down for his eighth lap, however, he noticed someone else opening the door from the stairwell. 

Noelani was wearing a white, skin-tight shirt and blue-and-purple running shorts, showing off his arms and legs that had a surprising amount of lean muscle. Ryuji hadn’t realized he had stopped jogging. Looking up and smiling, Noelani stepped onto the track and stood next to Ryuji.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

“Did you follow me or something?” Ryuji asked, hoping he didn’t sound too accusatory. Noelani laughed. It was a nice laugh - he put his shoulders into it, making them bob up and down.

“No. I’ve been meaning to come and check this place out. Do you run too?”

“Yeah. You?” _Obviously he does, Ryuji. Did you seriously just ask that?_

“Yes, it’s been a passion of mine for a while. I like the freeing feeling it gives me, don’t you agree?”

“Totally!”

Pulling out an iPod, Noelani put his earbuds in and started around the track. He was going at a steady pace, showing that he was a distance runner, not a sprinter like Ryuji. 

A certain rhythm unconsciously formed between the two: Ryuji would sprint by for three laps, then jog for one alongside Noelani, who never sped up nor slowed down.

Ryuji ran a total of 18 laps, and Noelani ran 15. Both were too out of breath to talk afterwards, but they were passionately conversing about running once they were walking out of the changing room. 

“How did you manage to run two-and-a-half miles without your hair moving out of place?” Ryuji asked, wanting more than ever to tuck Noelani’s hair behind his ear. The question was met with a shrug.

“Why do you cover your face like that?”

Another shrug, this time accompanied by a self conscious movement that made his hair sway over his face more.

“Do you go to Hawaii a lot?”

“Not anymore. After my parents got divorced, my little sister and I were put under our mother’s custody, and we’re not allowed to talk to my father anymore. Mother would never take us to Hawaii,” Noelani said, bitterly, “she hated it there, whenever we visited.”

“Oh.” Ryuji didn’t know how to follow up after that.

“So, what about your parents?” Noelani asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

“Dad left a long time ago. Just me and Mom now, which is fine. We’re good on our own.”

“Hm.”

“You have a little sister?”

“Yeah. She’s seven, but she’s spunky. She’d like you.”

“Meaning?”

Noelani considered him for a minute, his crystal blue eye roving over Ryuji’s features, carefully taking him in.

“You both have this... _energy_ , that draws people in. Plus, I mean, you’re pretty cool, Sakamoto-Kun.”

“Ryuji.”

“Ryuji. You are pretty cool, Ryuji.”

“You too, Noelani.”

_Sparks_. Not lightning, just fizzing sparks were crackling in his chest as Ryuji walked home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Golden Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves (+Mishima) bring Noelani and his little sister to Dome Town. Ryuji has an epiphany.

“GOLDEN WEEEEEEEEK!” Ann cheered.

Mishima whooped, Ryuji laughed and gave Noelani a playful nudge on the arm. Their first month of their third year had flown by. 

“So, what do you guys want to do?” Futaba asked, bouncing up and down on the balls on her feet.

“My mornings are free now,” Noelani said, “so I can hang out too this week.”

“Awesome!” Ryuji said, even more hyped, “We should totally go to Dome Town.”

“Dome-what?” Noelani looked confused.

“You’ll see,” Mishima said, grinning.

With that, Golden Week had finally begun.

***

**Skullzy** : Okay, let’s get plannin’!

**Ali’iNoelani** : Alright.

**RedPanther** : Oh! That’s you, right, Noelani?

**RedPanther** : It’s Ann, BTW

**Ali’iNoelani** : Yes, it’s me.

**SnowFox** : Hello, it is Yusuke.

**PTFan** : Mishima here!

**OracleCanSeeYou** : Futaba

**Skullzy** : So, what are we doin’ for Golden Week?

**Ali’iNoelani** : We are going to have to set aside some time for studying for exams.

**RedPanther** : Ssshhhh

**PTFan** : Shhhhhhhhh

**OracleCanSeeYou** : Hush, child.

**Ali’iNoelani** : I’m older than you, though...

**SnowFox** : He’s not wrong

**Skullzy** : Let’s not think about exams!

**Skullzy** : When are we taking the new guy to Dome Town?

**Ali’iNoelani** : And what is ‘Dome Town’?

**PTFan** : It’s like an amusement park

**RedPanther** : It’s super fun!

**OracleCanSeeYou** : There are a lot of people, though...

**RedPanther** : Don’t worry, we’ll protect you!

**SnowFox** : Yes, you needn’t dwell on that, Futaba.

**PTFan** : We’ve got your back, Futaba-Chan!

**Ali’iNoelani** : Well, that does sound like a good time...

**Skullzy** : That’s because it is!

**Ali’iNoelani** : I have most of the day off on Monday

**RedPanther** : So, let’s go then!

**PTFan** : Let’s all meet up at the train station at 9:30 AM, ok?

**OracleCanSeeYou** : Got it!

**RedPanther** : Sounds good!

**SnowFox** : I will see you all then.

**Ali’iNoelani** : Can’t wait!

**Skullzy** : Great! This is going to be so much fun!

***

“Uh...who’s this?”

The little girl bounced up and down, clinging to Noelani’s hand.

“My sister, Keola.” He said, trying to get her to say ‘ _hello_ ’.

“‘Lo.” Keola murmured.

“Well, hello there, cutie!” Ann gushed, taking one look at the springy pigtails and pink sundress and melted. Keola blushed a deep crimson, but finally came out from behind her brother’s leg.

“And how old are you?” Mishima asked, kneeling down.

“I’m seven.”

“Are you liking school here in Japan?”

“Yuh-huh. It’s a lot different than England, it’s a lot sunnier, and there are a lot more people on the trains, and there’s more color everywhere,” 

Noelani laughed lightly as his sister rattled on and on, Ann drinking up every single word. Ryuji chuckled too - she was kinda precious. Futaba, though, was eyeing the kid suspiciously, like she might bite. 

“I saw a booth where they where doing face painting!” Keola squealed. “Takamaki-Senpai, can we go there? And can I get a butterfly? And can I call you Big Sis? And can we bring Yuuki-Senpai and Kitagawa-Senpai? And that weird girl that doesn’t like me?”

“Of course!” Ann cried, jumping up and grabbing Mishima and Futaba by the arms and dragging them off after a cheering Keola, Yusuke trailing behind.

“We’ll meet here in half an hour!” Ryuji called after them. Yusuke gave the thumbs up to signal he heard. Now it was just Noelani and Ryuji. _How did they get here? What do they do now?_

“I’ve never been on a roller coaster,” Noelani mused, “are the ones here any good?”

Ryuji felt a grin slide across his face.

“They sure are.”

***

“Big Brother, look! I’ve got a butterfly on my face! Big Sis and her friends took me around, and we went on the teacup ride, and Yuuki-Senpai almost puked! It was gross! And it turns out Sakura-Senpai actually didn’t not like me, she was just being shy, and guess what? She likes Feathermen too! Can I go over to her place sometime to see her collection? Big Brother? You don’t look so good...”

Noelani was sitting on a bench next to Ryuji, both slightly doubled-over and very green. Ann sat down too and gently rubbed their backs, humming sympathetically. 

“There’s going to be a fireworks display at sundown,” Mishima said, checking his watch, “that’s only a couple hours from now. Why don’t we get something to eat, check out some of the souvenir shops and the arcade, then come back out for the show?”

“Sounds like a plan!” Futaba said, looking as jittery as the seven-year-old at the idea of fireworks.

“I’ve never been to an arcade,” Noelani whispered to Ryuji, “how exactly does this work?”

“You just go in, put money in the machines, play the games, get tickets, then trade the tickets for prizes,” Ryuji explained, wondering how anyone could have gone seventeen years of their lives without doing so much. Soon enough Futaba was practically drowning in tickets, Mishima with a respectable amount himself, and Ann and Yusuke just trying to keep up. Happy with his own haul, Ryuji looked over to see that Keola and Noelani collectively had the most tickets out of all of them.

“You sure you’ve never played an arcade game?” Ryuji muttered, and Noelani did his thing and blushed. 

“Big Brother! Let’s go get our prizes and see the fireworks!” Keola said, pointing at the prize counter. She had her eyes set on a giant, pink bunny hanging on the wall, and nearly cried when Noelani explained that they didn’t have enough tickets for it. Ann promptly handed over her own tickets, and everyone else followed suit. They got the bunny, along with a pair of silly sunglasses for each of them. 

“FIREWORKS TIME!” Futaba, Ann and Keola all screamed with delight, getting questioning and annoyed looks from passers by. 

“Oooh, Big Sis, look!” Keola gasped, gazing mystified by the Ferris wheel, whose lights had started glowing.

“Come on, the line’s pretty short!” Ann cried, grabbing the younger girl’s hand and running over to join the crowd of people at the foot of the wheel. The rest of the gang made their way slower, enjoying the lights from below. Ann, Futaba and Keola all got in a car together, giggling and whooping amongst themselves. 

As Yusuke helped Mishima into the next car, Ryuji felt someone grab his hand. Looking down, Ryuji noticed how sickly Noelani appeared. 

“We’ll get the next car,” Ryuji said hastily to Mishima and Yusuke, who gave him sideways looks. Before either of them could comment, however, the man running the wheel closed the car door and it started making its way up.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Ryuji said quietly.

Noelani turned to look Ryuji in the eyes, and took a deep breath in.

“I can do this,” he muttered, half to himself.

“Yes, you can,” Ryuji agreed, squeezing the trembling hand in his.

The next car’s door opened, and Noelani stepped in determinedly, Ryuji behind him. As the car slowly made moved upward, Noelani gradually started to calm himself down, city lights reflecting in his eye like stars. He beamed at Ryuji, who grinned back, feeling as if he had left his organs on the ground. The first firework went off above them, and both boys jumped. That’s when Ryuji finally looked down to see they were still holding hands. It seemed as if they held hands more often than many other friends. Blue, yellow, red, white, blue, green, pink, white, blue, the fireworks burst. The car was nearing the top of the wheel and was nearing its descent. _Should he let go? Why did they hold hands so much? Why did he...like it?_

Then, in the very same second - _the car was at the top and a gust of wind blew back Noelani’s hair and three fireworks went off at once (blue green yellow) to make a flower-like shape and Noelani was smiling at him like this was the first time he had ever been happy before in his life with stars glowing in both of his eyes and they were still holding hands and all at once everything came together and Ryuji understood_ \- and that understanding sucked the air right out of his lungs.

For the first time in his life, he had a crush on a _guy_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one’s a bit longer than the others...next one will be slightly shorter. I hope you enjoy!


	5. Much Ado About Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji invites Noelani over for a study not-date, and they read over some Shakespeare.

“Are you okay, Ryuji?”

“Mom, I’m fine, stop asking me that.”

“It’s just...you’ve been cleaning.”

“So?”

“ _Cleaning_ , Ryuji. Are you sure you don’t have a fever?”

“Mom!”

Ryuji ducked his mother’s outstretched hand and resumed his sweeping.

“I’m having a friend over later, and I want this place to look nice,” he said, simply. Airi frowned.

“You’ve had lots of friends over, and you’ve never cleaned for them, even the girls! Unless,” she grinned, cocking one eyebrow, “this is a special girl?”

“No!” Ryuji half-shouted, then quickly checked his volume. 

“No, it’s not a girl, Mom. There’s a new kid at school, and he’s a foreigner, so I’ve been, y’know, helping him out.”

This was an insult to Noelani, who had perfect understanding of Japanese language and culture, and Ryuji knew it. However, he wasn’t ready to admit to his mother that he had been questioning his sexuality more and more over the last week or so.

“Oh,” Airi said, satisfied with the lie, “well, in that case...”

She opened up the closet and pulled out the vacuum cleaner.

“Mom, I’ve got this,” Ryuji halfheartedly whined. He checked the clock hanging on the wall - 1:12. Less than an hour before Noelani was here.

***

“Hey.”

Ryuji blinked like he was looking into a bright light. He had never seen Noelani wear clothes so casual - just a tie-die t-shirt and bleached jeans. It was a look reminiscent of something out of a magazine from the 80s in the west. Still in shock, Ryuji silently moved to the side, letting Noelani through the door. 

“Oh, so you’re Ryuji’s new friend!”

“Hello,” Noelani said politely to Airi. 

“Does he always wear gloves?” She muttered to Ryuji, who nodded. He was long used to them by now, and Noelani refused to talk about them. There was a lot he didn’t like to talk about: his gloves, his hair, his parents, his hobbies. Ryuji did most of the talking when they were together.

Noelani perched himself on the worn-out couch, and started pulling out his textbooks. Ryuji gave an over-the-top groan.

“Do we have to start studying _immediately_?”

“That’s why I’m here,” Noelani said, now flipping through a color-coded binder.

“Yeah, but,” Ryuji said, stalling the inevitable, “don’t you, like, want a tour, or something?”

“Nah.”

With one last feeble moan, Ryuji plunked himself down on the couch, and picked up his own notebook.

***

“There you go,” Noelani said encouragingly.

“So...this says: ‘ _Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and...therefore...is winged cupid painted blind_ ’?” Ryuji said, trying to translate the English phrase. Noelani gave a smile and a thumbs up, then settled back into a contemplative state.

“You okay man?” Ryuji asked.

“Yes, I mean,” Noelani muttered, fidgeting, “a couple days ago, on the Ferris wheel,” ( _Ryuji froze_ ) “when the wind blew my hair out of my face, did you see...both of my eyes?”

Ryuji blinked. This wasn’t what he had been expecting. For a second, he thought he had been found out.

“Yeah, I did.”

“Did you notice anything, y’know, odd?”

“It was pretty dark, so no? Why?”

“Oh, nothing,” Noelani said. “Now, for extra credit: which English poet and playwright wrote that earlier quote?”

“Uh...”

“William Shakespeare.”

“Right. I knew that.”

“Really? Well then,” Noelani said, flipping through the textbook to the desired page, “let’s see what else Mister Shakespeare wrote, shall we?”

He straightened up, his finger on a red line of text, and told Ryuji to read the blue. Ryuji squinted at the first phrase, sighed, and started.

“‘ _I take...thee...at...thy...word: call me but love, and I’ll be new...baptized... Henceforth...I never will be Romeo_.’”

“‘ _What man art thou that thus bescreen’d in night so stumblest on my council_?’”

“‘ _By a name I know not how to tell...thee...who I am: my name, dear...saint, is hateful to myself, because it is an enemy to thee; had I it written, I would tear the word_.’”

“‘ _My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound: art thou not Romeo and a Montague_?’”

“‘ _Neither, fair...saint, if either thee dislike_.’”

“‘ _How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore? The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, and the place death, considering who thou art, if any of my kinsmen find thee here_.’”

“‘ _With love's light wings did I...o'er-perch...these walls; for stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do that dares love attempt; therefore...thy...kinsmen...are no stop to me_.’”

“‘ _If they do see thee, they will murder thee_.’”

“‘ _...Alack, there lies more...peril...in...thine...eye than twenty of their swords: look...thou...but sweet, and I am proof against their...enmity_.’”

“‘ _I would not for the world they saw thee here_.’”

“‘ _I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight; and but...thou...love me, let them find me here: my life were better ended by their hate, than death...prorogued, wanting of...thy...love_.’”

“‘ _By whose direction found'st thou out this place_?’”

“‘ _By love, who first did prompt me to...inquire; he lent me...counsel...and I lent him eyes. I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far as that vast shore...wash'd with the farthest sea, I would adventure for such...merchandise_.’”

“Having fun, boys?” Airi had snuck into the living room with a tray of snacks. “Anyone want some peanut butter and apple?”

“MOM!” Ryuji spluttered, as Noelani helped himself to peanut butter.

“What?” Airi said, blinking not-so-innocently. “I thought you two would be hungry, after all that studying. Was that the balcony scene?”

“From ‘ _Romeo and Juliet_ ’, yes.” Noelani said.

“Ah, what a _romantic_ play,” Airi cooed, giving Ryuji what he swore was a smug look.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Romeo and Juliet” and “Much Ado About Nothing” are two Shakespeare plays that both involve one of the female leads faking death, leaving their love interests downtrodden. The outcomes of the two plays, however, are infinitely different.
> 
> As always, I hoped you enjoyed!


	6. Exam Results

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The exams come and go, and multiple unexpected somethings happen.

Golden week was over.

Exams were that day.

Ryuji was more than a little freaked out.

The teacher passed out the tests, and the timer started. 

It wasn’t unusual for Ryuji to just stare blankly at the first question, completely at a loss, but this time he was staring for a different reason. _He actually knew the answer_. Second question...he knew this one too! And this one, and this one, not that one, but the next one he had a pretty good guess-

Ryuji hadn’t noticed he was grinning, or that he was getting weird looks from his classmates who were astounded that he was putting so much effort into the test, or that Noelani was smiling to himself as well.

***

“How do you feel?”

“Pretty good, actually,” Ryuji said, one week later. Exams results were to be posted today, and while Ryuji didn’t expect to magically become top of the class, he felt pretty confident with his work for once. Ann stared at him like he had two heads.

“What?” Ryuji asked, defensively.

“Does that mean you studied this time?” Mishima said, mockingly.

“Yes!” Ryuji spluttered. “Noelani helped me.”

“You guys had study parties without us?” Futaba cried, faking offense. “I thought we were friends!”

“Where _is_ Noelani?” Ann asked, looking around.

“I think he went to the roof,” Ryuji said. “He’s started tending to Haru’s old plants.”

“Aw, how sweet,” Ann said.

“Guys,” Mishima pointed. They had made to the bulletin board containing their fates.

“Top of my year!” Futaba shouted, getting shocked looks and jealous glares from the other students.

“Hey, I did okay, too!” Mishima said, relieved.

“Well, it’s not the worst I’ve done, but,” Ann said, putting her finger four names under hers, “Ryuji, check it out! You’re in the top half of the list for once! I mean, it’s the bottom of the top half, but still!”

Ryuji blinked. That was his name all right, just a few dozen places above where it usually sat.

“Oh, hey, look!” Mishima gasped, pointing to the top of the list. “Noelani got third in the year!”

“Wow!” Ann said. “Where is he? We gotta show him this!”

“I’ll go get him,” Ryuji volunteered. He felt light, and bubbly. Mom was going to be so proud of him! Half running up the stairs two at a time, Ryuji made it to the second floor and was at the bottom of the next flight of stairs before he heard someone else rushing down. Turing too suddenly into the stairwell, they tripped and went flying over the stairs, hurdling down to the floor.

_Bam!_

Ryuji was almost knocked off his feet, but he instinctively moved one foot back to steady himself. The other person’s legs had collapsed from under themselves, and as they straightened up, Ryuji felt a white-hot blush burst across his face. Noelani blinked, his hair askew, his face a blank uncomprehending. Without realizing he was doing it, Ryuji lifted one hand and brushed aside the hair shrouding the other’s face. His skin was soft, and his hair even softer still, and his eyes-

“Wow.” Ryuji breathed, gazing into one sky blue eye, and one light green eye that reminded him of mint ice cream. Their faces were so close now, their foreheads almost touched. 

_Should I kiss him?_

The thought drifted into Ryuji’s brain, and hung there, egging him on. He could do it, what with both his hands on either side of Noelani’s face and the sweet smell of vanilla shampoo filling his lungs and hands around his neck and their eyes closing...

With a start, like he had just realized where they were and what they were doing, Noelani put both hands on Ryuji’s chest and pushed with all his strength, almost knocking him over again.

“Sorry!” Noelani squeaked. “Sorry! I don’t know what I was - I hadn’t noticed how long I was working and came hurrying down to see the results, and - I’m so, so sorry! Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Ryuji said, breathless. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little, y’know, off guard.”

_Man_ , this silence was awkward. Noelani began fidgeting with his hair, returning the curtain around his right eye. Ryuji shuffled his feet, head towards the ground.

“Please don’t tell anyone about my heterochromia.” Noelani said, quietly.

Ryuji looked up. “You’re-what?”

“Heterochromia,” Noelani said pointing at where his green eye must be under his hair. “It’s a thing that makes your eyes two different colors.”

“Oh,” Ryuji gulped, still pretty shaken.

“Okay, I guess, but I like - I mean, it’s pretty - cool! Pretty cool,” he stammered. “I’ve never met anyone with hetero-whatsit.”

Noelani laughed. 

“You did amazing on your exams, by the way,” Ryuji added, feeling the tension leave the air. “Third in the class.”

“Oh,” Noelani’s smile twitched for a heartbeat, but was put right back in place. “Wow, I’m glad. How did you do?”

“Good,” Ryuji said, his elation returning in full, “great, fantastic! It’s the best score I’ve gotten in a long time!”

Laughing again, Noelani mentioned that the others were probably wondering where on earth they were, so they went walking down the stairs, talking casually.

Ryuji wished he could be a mind reader. Right now Noelani appeared to be fine, but just a second ago he seemed embarrassed by his perfect eyes and almost afraid of his placement on the exams. What was he thinking?

***

Noelani’s thoughts were in free fall. Was Ryuji really going to kiss him back there, or was that his love struck imagination? Sometimes he wished he could just be straight, and not have to worry about people finding out he wasn’t. 

If he was straight, Noelani wouldn’t have to worry about people finding out he was crushing hard on Ryuji Sakamoto.

His mother was going to kill him when he got home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now it’s time to get to know Noelani a bit better. He’s a character that I really loved designing, and I’m so happy to finally bring him into the spotlight!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!


	7. Noelani

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noelani goes home and reminisces about his life while he waits for his mother to get home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some verbal and physical abuse in this chapter. I know I put ‘abuse’ in the tags, but just in case you missed that.

Noelani figured out he was gay a while ago.

It was around four or five years ago when, at his boarding school, a girl dragged him behind the lockers, kissed him quick, then ran off giggling. All of his friends had high-fived him and kept asking how good it was, what it tasted like, if there was tongue, but all Noelani could focus on was how unappealing it was. After that he had dated a couple girls on-and-off, but it never went beyond holding hands and more kisses that were just...bland.

It wasn’t like he had ever kissed a guy and thought “ _oh hey, that’s loads better_ ” (he had never kissed a guy), but he had noticed his friends checking out girls at the beach while he checked out his friends. 

In the beginning, Noelani had felt dirty, wrong, broken. Why didn’t he like girls like he should? That’s why he had never told anyone, ever. One day he would, when he was going to college in a progressive neighborhood and had friends that would never talk about him and his gay-ness behind his back.He certainly couldn’t come out now, because his mother would kick him to the curb if she knew he had a crush on a guy, no matter how amazing Ryuji was.

Ryuji was the most incredibly amazing person Noelani had ever met.

Okay, that might be an exaggeration. Dad was pretty cool, and his sister, and his grandparents and his friends in Hawaii. Everyone else he had met, however, was some shade of jerk. Until he walked into his new classroom on the first day of school and saw a streak of blonde amongst the sea of dark hair. At first Noelani had thought that Ryuji might’ve been a foreigner too, until he heard the teacher breathe “He still hasn’t dyed his hair back...”.

Ryuji had a deeply interested expression on his face when he had first looked at him, though now through Yusuke Noelani had inferred that was because everyone had expected him to be a girl. At the time, however, he had thought maybe Ryuji was a closet case like himself, and maybe even thought he was cute. That, of course, was uncharacteristically optimistic. Still, Noelani could hardly look away all through class. Ryuji drew his eye like a magnet. 

He tried forgetting, tried reminding himself how his mother would react, but the more time he hung out with Ryuji, the farther Noelani fell. There was so much he loved - Ryuji’s rebelliously blonde hair, his chill attitude, his love of his friends, his kindness, his humor, his laugh, the way they held hands. Was he perfect? No (It was a struggle for Noelani not to put one hand on Ryuji’s chest and one on his back and force him to _stand up straight_ ), but he didn’t have any outrageous dealbreakers, either.

“Big brother?”

Keola was tugging at his sleeve, awakening him from his stupor.

“Mother is going to be home soon. How did you do on your exams?”

Noelani sighed, then picked his little sister up and carried her to her room. Placing her carefully on her bed, he warned her not to leave for at least an hour. Nodding, Keola leaned over and hugged Noelani tight.

“Be brave, Big brother,” she whispered.

***

Noelani stood alone in the parlor, avoiding looking at a cabinet in the back of the room, trying not to think about what was coming. Finally, he removed his blazer and unbuttoned his shirt, folding both neatly and putting them on an overstuffed armchair. Kneeling down, Noelani tucked his legs underneath himself and lay his hands on his knees, bowing his head, exposing his back. He waited there for about five minutes, until the door opened, and the pristine sound of six-inch high-heels on wood flooring filled the room.

“I see.” Was all she said, removing a belt from a drawer in the cabinet leaning against the back wall.

“You didn’t place first?” Mother’s voice was like ice.

“Third,” Noelani said.

A sudden sharp strike to the center of his spine sent pain screeching through his body, but he didn’t move an inch. Two more blows followed, but still Noelani remained silent and stationary. 

“How very disappointing,” Mother muttered, motioning for Noelani to stand up and put his clothes back on. 

“I expected more of you. You will be top of the class next time, understood? The world doesn’t have room for ‘ _third_ ’s, for ‘ _good enough_ ’s. I got where I am by working harder than anyone else in my field, and you will do the same. It’s a good thing I’m keeping you far away from that poisonous influence your father was, always showering you in praise when you didn’t deserve it, bolstering your ego, making you believe you were more than you really were.”

Mother gave her son a long, calculating look, before smiling darkly.

“You are not enough,” her voice was barely more than a whisper, “but one day you will be the better than any other. I’m doubling your study schedule for the time being. Trust me, Love, I’m just trying to do what’s best for you.”

She turned her back to him and promptly left.

As the _click, click clicking_ sound of heels faded to a different part of the house, Noelani finally started to cry.

***

“Oh, no...”

“I’m fine, Sis.”

Noelani was sitting awkwardly on his bed, attempting to bandage his bleeding back. Jumping up next to him, Keola firmly took the gauze from his grip and started winding it around his middle herself, ignoring her brother’s protests.

“When are you gonna see Ryuji again?” Keola asked, clearly trying to distract him.

“Tomorrow at school, obviously.” Noelani replied.

“I made him and Big Sis and everyone friendship bracelets,” Keola said. “Can you give them out?” 

“Okay,” Noelani obliged.

Keola trotted out of his room and returned with a small box with beaded ringlets inside.

“Now,” Keola said, dead serious, “this purple one is for you, because it goes with the streaks in your hair,” (Noelani remembered vividly the day Keola had begged their mother to let her play ‘makeover’ with her brother) “the pink one is for me because I like pink, the red one’s for Big Sis, because it’s like pink except it’s more grown-up,” and so on and so on.

“Don’t forget, got it?” Keola ordered, holding out her pinky finger. Noelani pinky swore to give his friends the bracelets, and the little girl seemed satisfied with her work. She bounced away, singing songs to herself.

Noelani sighed, then stood up on top of his bed, reaching up for the ceiling. He had sought out the room that was connected to the attic the moment his family had arrived. Pulling the trapdoor open and tugging the rickety ladder down, he climbed up into his dusty oasis. Here Noelani had stashed his collection of guitars, picks, and his songbook.

Flipping through said songbook to a blank page, Noelani removed the pencil from the book’s spine and started scribbling down chords then testing their sound with one of his oldest acoustics. After finding a rhythm that he liked, Noelani then set out trying to figure out the bridge and chorus. Words would come later, although he already had a slight idea about what he wanted.

Songwriting was one of Noelani’s only escapes from the real world, and one that his mother would most definitely disapprove of. He had written songs about almost every and any deep thought and/or worry that crossed his mind, and now there was one overwhelming thought that he just had to get out of his head and onto paper and into music.

‘ _You’re writing a song about how confusing it is to be a teenager figuring out their identity for the first time_ ,’ he kept telling himself, despite knowing full well what he was really doing.

Noelani was writing a love song for Ryuji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
